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On the Etiquette of Gaming

The thing that unites us here at GamerSushi is our unhealthy love and adoration of all things related to gaming. I’d like to think it creates a unique bond between us. Something that forms a common knowledge through shared experiences, a collective set of ethics and codes that we follow. Sure we deviate on issues here and there (Splinter Cell Conviction and night vision, for instance), but for the most part, we seem to understand one another.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of a few things that I’ve been curious about in terms of gaming etiquette. Things that tend to cause awkwardness in gaming circles or in the online atmosphere. I want to hear what you guys think about these things. Feel free to give as much or as little response as you like. Let’s roll.

1) When in a matchmaking system for an online game, is it ok to drop out of a game if you don’t like the gametype/map? Is it ever ok to quit?

2) If you’re trying to sell your game/system, and know that a buddy wants to buy it, should you sell it to him at the same price you’d get for trading it in? Is it ok to sell it for slightly higher, but not as much as he’d have to pay for it used?

3) Say you’re playing a game on XBox Live and in a party with friends. Someone random jumps into your party and you don’t really want him there. Do you just deal with it, ask him politely to leave, or kick him out without a word? Bonus question: is it ok to jump into a party un-invited?

4) Similar to the last question. A few of your buddies are playing a four player co-op game. You have 3 guys and need a fourth, so you invite a guy none of you know all that well to fill in the last slot. Part of the way into the game, one of your best amigos logs on and wants to join. What do you do?

5) A friend buys a game because he hears you have been playing it. Unfortunately, he buys it after you’ve gotten kind of tired of it. Fair/foul to sell it?

1) Personally, I don’t really think it is ok, but hey, if you gotta do it

2) I’d try to match what they could buy it for getting it used at say, gamestop, but alittle lower or higher depending on the condition it’s in or how long I’ve had it. I also always throw in a controller or two and a few games to the price as a bundle.

3) I’d just ask him to leave, and if he doesn’t, boot him. And unless you’re looking to make some people angry, don’t.
But hey, it’s fun sometimes =D

4) Tell the random person to get off so we can get that friend off, unless we’re already having a good time.

5) Foul. Example:My friend and I had played SW:BF for a long time, and it took me a year later to buy it, and he wouldn’t sell it at all now since I got it, and we did lan and online for the longest time.

3) Ask then kick. If you don’t want him there, you shouldn’t have to deal with him, end of story. As for jumping in uninvited, well, it’s kind of hard to tell when its a ‘party’. If you see lots of clan tags and think its a scrim, then probably best to stay out. But if its matchmaking, you can’t really help it anyways.

4) Tough stuff. Depends on how well I know the guy. Probably best to have the guy who knows him least ask him to leave, then have the kick vote squeak by. Conniving!

5) Foul. My cousins (~10 years younger than me) love to play SW:BF2 every time that they come over. I’ve grown slightly tired of it, but we keep it around for them.

1. I try to never leave a match simply because I don’t like the gametype/map (though Rat’s Nest in Halo 3 comes close). Real life always trumps game, though.

2. As a habit, I tend to lend games/systems I don’t want for free. It’s really not OK to try to swindle your friends for a bit of extra cash.

3. GTFO, buddy. I’m playing with friends, and unless someone can vouch for you, you’re out. Bonus answer: I don’t join parties that I’m not invited to, end of story. Just strikes me as rude.

4. Depends on what we’re doing, and how far we are. I’m not going to quit a Firefight match that’s a few sets in just so my friend can log on; he should have signed in earlier! It’s always good etiquette to finish a game, and who knows? The random guy might become one of your best gaming buddies. I know it’s happened to me.

5. Eh, it depends. I normally buy those kinds of games on Steam, so it’s just a quick install if one of my buddies purchases something that happens to be on my backlog. I’d say foul, though.

1. I would say its wrong but I do it anyway especially when im short on time.

2. If i haven’t played it in a long time I would let him borrow it for free for as long as he needed it.

3. I can’t stand being in a party with different groups playing different games unless I know them very well so i would probably ask then boot.But, if they were playing some single player game and not being annoying i wouldn’t mind. I join peoples parties that didn’t invite me all the time but thats because I usually know the person in real and know they wouldn’t mind.

4. Just had this happen recently and I kicked the guy I didn’t know. It kinda sucks for him but its a good chance for him but i’ve been the person who was kicked before so I don’t feel too bad.

5. Foul.If the person is your friend then you should be having fun no matter what game you’re playing.

You know, this is a very intriguing topic to talk about: etiquette. I love any questionaire you guys through our way, so keep up the cool work!

1. Yeah, I don’t mind if people back out from a gametype/map they don’t like. I do it all the time. If the person doesn’t want to play, there’s nothing forcing them. I’d rather wait for people who want to play that gametype/map than quickly play a waste-of-time game with guys who don’t like the GT/M. Of course, I’m using CoD as an example, so if we’re playing Halo or Gears and the teams are set but people leave, I’ll remember that I DON’T PLAY HALO NOR GEARS ONLINE. Unless it’s Horde or Fayafite.

2. Me and my friends do this pretty frequently – we’ll sell used consoles or games to one another for cheaper price, although sometimes we sell it at market price because we’re greedy or something. I prefer selling to people rather than a story because I can bitch-slap people, but I can’t bitch-slap Gamestop. Unless I want a bloody knuckle from the concrete.

3. I’m usually not the Party Leader since I join friends’ parties because they tend to know more folks and have bigger parties, so I’m not making the call to kick anyone. I like to keep my friends list down to people I play with frequently, so unless the person is a friend of my friend, I’ll know them well enough that I’d keep them in the party anyway. But if I absolutely must tell the kid to leave, I’ll ask politely.
In fact I’m the one joining unannounced lol. If they want me there, they don’t mind at all, and if they want me to leave or if I’d rather be in Game Chat or with other friends, I’ll leave.

4. Ooooh geez, that sounds awkward. I don’t think I’ve really been in this situation, but whatever; I might as well prepare. Hm, well I’d finish the game with my 3 Musketeers and the other guy, and then maybe play another game with my other amigo later or right after. I’m nice like that. If I’m the guy who is not really known that well and if the people ask me to leave so they can play with their friend, I’ll say “Alright cool, you heartless bastards, I’ll be on later.”

5. Well, whenever a friend buys a game and you can play it together or hopefully with other friends, then the game becomes worth it again. Even though it wasn’t a multiplayer game, I kept Fallout 3 because my friend re-inspired me to play it, and I loved it several times after he bought it and rejuvenated my love for Fallout. So at the end of the day, I’d say it’s foul to sell a game a friend just bought because you could either have sold it to your friend or played with him or at very least, not looked like an asshole.

1) Well if its matched its ranked(or at least that the only matchmaking I been up to)and then its totality cool to drop out. Its your score that gets fucked up. If you cant handle some maps its your lose.

2) I really cant answer this,I don’t sell games. Mostly because almost I have a nerdcollector gene in me that screams in agony when i try to sell stuff. But otherwise I would probably give a “Nize price”. Or hell, to some friends I would just give them away.

3) Cant relate to the question. When I play in a “party” we usually hang around on a private vent server and we don’t get any randoms in there. But if I was getting randoms in there there would be kick/ban without any questions asked.

4) Well sorry best amigo, but if you come late you lose out. And I’m quite sure he wont cry about it since he either will find a game for him self or wait if he really wants to play with me.

5) Again with this selling stuff. But I probably wouldn’t play with him more then a few times for sympathy and then stop playing the game altogether.

1. Same as Anthony and I include the sniper rifles only mode.
2. As long as I don’t feel guilty I could charge as much as two of them lol. Na, fair price so I make a justifiable amount.
3. Polite, the kick if he persists.
4. Keep the new guy for the remainder of the match, then say I’ve got to accept a friend’s invite.
5. I usually keep my games and my friends usually buy different one so I’ve no problem.

1) When in a matchmaking system for an online game, is it ok to drop out of a game if you don’t like the gametype/map? Is it ever ok to quit?

Well, I do it so I guess it’s okay, besides I play big team games and if I leave I’ll be replaced.

2) If you’re trying to sell your game/system, and know that a buddy wants to buy it, should you sell it to him at the same price you’d get for trading it in? Is it ok to sell it for slightly higher, but not as much as he’d have to pay for it used?

As long as it’s below retail. I suggest at least $10 cheaper.

3) Say you’re playing a game on XBox Live and in a party with friends. Someone random jumps into your party and you don’t really want him there. Do you just deal with it, ask him politely to leave, or kick him out without a word? Bonus question: is it ok to jump into a party un-invited?

Kick him. He isn’t wanted here. And I think it’s never okay to jump into a party uninvited.

4) Similar to the last question. A few of your buddies are playing a four player co-op game. You have 3 guys and need a fourth, so you invite a guy none of you know all that well to fill in the last slot. Part of the way into the game, one of your best amigos logs on and wants to join. What do you do?

Tell him that you’ll play with him after the round is over.

5) A friend buys a game because he hears you have been playing it. Unfortunately, he buys it after you’ve gotten kind of tired of it. Fair/foul to sell it?

Foul, you friend spent money on buying it so they could play with you, so you should play with them on it. Friends > Videogames you are bored of

1)Only when you have either played the same gametype twenty times in a row, or despise it so much that playing it would result in you not having fun. Quitting is only acceptable in the above circumstances, or when your whole team leaves.

2)I’ve done this before, and I gave it to them for the same price I would receive had I given it to a store.

3)I would keep him along if he’s cool. I could always use another player. But I personally would not jump into another person’s party unless I knew them.

4) Apologize to the friend and ask them to please wait. I wouldn’t want to ruin the other guy’s experience. Unless he was a jerk or something.

5) Foul. I always find games bring on a new life when you start playing it with a friend, and besides, he/she did buy it to play with you, so at least spend some time with him in it. You can play other games when he isn’t online.